Butwhentheyoungmanhaddeparted，itcannotbedeniedthata
remarkableexpressionwasagainvisibleonthefairandyouthful
faceofhismistress。Itwasasadandanxiouslook，littlein
accordancewithwhatshouldhavebeenthefeelingsofamaidenon
theeveofwedlock。YetWalterLudlowwasthechosenofherheart。
“Alook！”saidElinortoherself。“Nowonderthatitstartled
him，ifitexpressedwhatIsometimesfeel。Iknow，bymyown
experience，howfrightfulalookmaybe。Butitwasallfancy。I
thoughtnothingofitatthetime-Ihaveseennothingofitsince-
Ididbutdreamit。”
Andshebusiedherselfabouttheembroideryofaruff，inwhichshe
meantthatherportraitshouldbetaken。
Thepainter，ofwhomtheyhadbeenspeaking，wasnotoneofthose
nativeartistswho，atalaterperiodthanthis，borrowedtheircolors
fromtheIndians，andmanufacturedtheirpencilsofthefursofwild
beasts。Perhaps，ifhecouldhaverevokedhislifeandprearrangedhis
destiny，hemighthavechosentobelongtothatschoolwithouta
master，inthehopeofbeingatleastoriginal，sincetherewereno
worksofarttoimitatenorrulestofollow。Buthehadbeenborn
andeducatedinEurope。Peoplesaidthathehadstudiedthegrandeur
orbeautyofconception，andeverytouchofthemasterhand，inall
themostfamouspictures，incabinetsandgalleries，andonthe
wallsofchurches，tilltherewasnothingmoreforhispowerfulmind
tolearn。Artcouldaddnothingtoitslessons，butNaturemight。He
hadthereforevisitedaworldwhithernoneofhisprofessional
brethrenhadprecededhim，tofeasthiseyesonvisibleimagesthat
werenobleandpicturesque，yethadneverbeentransferredto
canvas。Americawastoopoortoaffordothertemptationstoan
artistofeminence，thoughmanyofthecolonialgentry，onthe
painter’sarrival，hadexpressedawishtotransmittheirlineaments
toposteritybymeansofhisskill。Wheneversuchproposalsweremade，
hefixedhispiercingeyesontheapplicant，andseemedtolookhim
throughandthrough。Ifhebeheldonlyasleekandcomfortablevisage，
thoughtherewereagold-lacedcoattoadornthepictureandgolden
guineastopayforit，hecivillyrejectedthetaskandthereward。
Butifthefaceweretheindexofanythinguncommon，inthought，
sentiment，orexperience；orifhemetabeggarinthestreet，with
awhitebeardandafurrowedbrow；orifsometimesachildhappenedto
lookupandsmile，hewouldexhaustalltheartonthemthathedenied
towealth。
Pictorialskillbeingsorareinthecolonies，thepainterbecame
anobjectofgeneralcuriosity。Iffewornonecouldappreciatethe
technicalmeritofhisproductions，yettherewerepoints，inregard
towhichtheopinionofthecrowdwasasvaluableastherefined
judgmentoftheamateur。Hewatchedtheeffectthateachpicture
producedonsuchuntutoredbeholders，andderivedprofitfromtheir
remarks，whiletheywouldassoonhavethoughtofinstructingNature
herselfashimwhoseemedtorivalher。Theiradmiration，itmustbe
owned，wastincturedwiththeprejudicesoftheageandcountry。
SomedeemeditanoffenceagainsttheMosaiclaw，andevena
presumptuousmockeryoftheCreator，tobringintoexistencesuch
livelyimagesofhiscreatures。Others，frightenedattheartwhich
couldraisephantoms，atwill，andkeeptheformofthedeadamongthe
living，wereinclinedtoconsiderthepainterasamagician，or
perhapsthefamousBlackMan，ofoldwitchtimes，plottingmischiefin
anewguise。Thesefoolishfanciesweremorethanhalfbelieved
amongthemob。Eveninsuperiorcircleshischaracterwasinvested
withavagueawe，partlyrisinglikesmokewreathsfromthepopular
superstitions，butchieflycausedbythevariedknowledgeand
talentswhichhemadesubservienttohisprofession。
Beingontheeveofmarriage，WalterLudlowandElinorwereeager
toobtaintheirportraits，asthefirstofwhat，theydoubtlesshoped，
wouldbealongseriesoffamilypictures。Thedayafterthe
conversationaboverecordedtheyvisitedthepainter’srooms。A
servantusheredthemintoanapartment，where，thoughtheartist
himselfwasnotvisible，therewerepersonageswhomtheycould
hardlyforbeargreetingwithreverence。Theyknew，indeed，thatthe
wholeassemblywerebutpictures，yetfeltitimpossibletoseparate
theideaoflifeandintellectfromsuchstrikingcounterfeits。
Severaloftheportraitswereknowntothem，eitherasdistinguished
charactersofthedayortheirprivateacquaintances。Therewas
GovernorBurnett，lookingasifhehadjustreceivedanundutiful
communicationfromtheHouseofRepresentatives，andwereinditinga
mostsharpresponse。Mr。Cookehungbesidetherulerwhomhe
opposed，sturdy，andsomewhatpuritanical，asbefittedapopular
leader。TheancientladyofSirWilliamPhippseyedthemfromthe
wall，inruffandfarthingale-animperiousolddame，not
unsuspectedofwitchcraft。JohnWinslow，thenaveryyoungman，wore
theexpressionofwar-likeenterprise，whichlongafterwardsmade
himadistinguishedgeneral。Theirpersonalfriendswererecognizedat
aglance。Inmostofthepictures，thewholemindandcharacterwere
broughtoutonthecountenance，andconcentratedintoasinglelook，
sothat，tospeakparadoxically，theoriginalshardlyresembled
themselvessostrikinglyastheportraitsdid。
AmongthesemodernworthiesthereweretwooldbeardedSaints，
whohadalmostvanishedintothedarkeningcanvas。Therewasalsoa
pale，butunfadedMadonna，whohadperhapsbeenworshippedinRome，
andnowregardedtheloverswithsuchamildandholylookthatthey
longedtoworshiptoo。
“Howsingularathought。”observedWalterLudlow，“thatthis
beautifulfacehasbeenbeautifulforabovetwohundredyears！Oh，
ifallbeautywouldenduresowell！Doyounotenvyher，Elinor？”
“Ifearthwereheaven，Imight。”shereplied。“Butwhereallthings
fade，howmiserabletobetheonethatcouldnotfade！”
“ThisdarkoldSt。Peterhasafierceanduglyscowl，saint
thoughhebe。”continuedWalter。“Hetroublesme。ButtheVirginlooks
kindlyatus。”
“Yes；butverysorrowfully，methinks。”saidElinor。
Theeaselstoodbeneaththesethreeoldpictures，sustainingone
thathadbeenrecentlycommenced。Afteralittleinspection，they
begantorecognizethefeaturesoftheirownminister，theRev。Dr。
Colman，growingintoshapeandlife，asitwere，outofacloud。
“Kindoldman！”exclaimedElinor。“Hegazesatmeasifhewere
abouttoutterawordofpaternaladvice。”
“Andatme。”saidWalter，“asifhewereabouttoshakehishead
andrebukemeforsomesuspectediniquity。Butsodoestheoriginal。I
shallneverfeelquitecomfortableunderhiseyetillwestand
beforehimtobemarried。”
Theynowheardafootsteponthefloor，andturning，beheldthe
painter，whohadbeensomemomentsintheroom，andhadlistenedto
afewoftheirremarks。Hewasamiddle-agedman，withacountenance
wellworthyofhisownpencil。Indeed，bythepicturesque，though
carelessarrangementofhisrichdress，and，perhaps，becausehissoul
dweltalwaysamongpaintedshapes，helookedsomewhatlikea
portraithimself。Hisvisitorsweresensibleofakindredbetween
theartistandhisworks，andfeltasifoneofthepictureshad
steppedfromthecanvastosalutethem。
WalterLudlow，whowasslightlyknowntothepainter，explainedthe
objectoftheirvisit。Whilehespoke，asunbeamwasfallingathwart
hisfigureandElinor’s，withsohappyaneffectthattheyalsoseemed
livingpicturesofyouthandbeauty，gladdenedbybrightfortune。
Theartistwasevidentlystruck。
“Myeaselisoccupiedforseveralensuingdays，andmystayin
Bostonmustbebrief。”saidhe，thoughtfully；then，afteranobservant
glance，headded：“butyourwishesshallbegratified，thoughI
disappointtheChiefJusticeandMadamOliver。Imustnotlosethis
opportunity，forthesakeofpaintingafewellsofbroadclothand
brocade。”
Thepainterexpressedadesiretointroduceboththeirportraits
intoonepicture，andrepresentthemengagedinsomeappropriate
action。Thisplanwouldhavedelightedthelovers，butwasnecessarily
rejected，becausesolargeaspaceofcanvaswouldhavebeenunfitfor
theroomwhichitwasintendedtodecorate。Twohalf-length
portraitswerethereforefixedupon。Aftertheyhadtakenleave，
WalterLudlowaskedElinor，withasmile，whethersheknewwhatan
influenceovertheirfatesthepainterwasabouttoacquire。
“TheoldwomenofBostonaffirm。”continuedhe，“thatafterhe
hasoncegotpossessionofaperson’sfaceandfigure，hemaypaint
himinanyactorsituationwhatever-andthepicturewillbe
prophetic。Doyoubelieveit？”
“Notquite。”saidElinor，smiling。“Yetifhehassuchmagic，there
issomethingsogentleinhismannerthatIamsurehewilluseit
well。”
Itwasthepainter’schoicetoproceedwithboththeportraitsat
thesametime，assigningasareason，inthemysticallanguagewhich
hesometimesused，thatthefacesthrewlightuponeachother。
AccordinglyhegavenowatouchtoWalter，andnowtoElinor，and
thefeaturesofoneandtheotherbegantostartforthsovividlythat
itappearedasifhistriumphantartwouldactuallydisengagethem
fromthecanvas。Amidtherichlightanddeepshade，theybeheldtheir
phantomselves。But，thoughthelikenesspromisedtobeperfect，
theywerenotquitesatisfiedwiththeexpression；itseemedmore
vaguethaninmostofthepainter’sworks。He，however，was
satisfiedwiththeprospectofsuccess，andbeingmuchinterestedin
thelovers，employedhisleisuremoments，unknowntothem，inmakinga
crayonsketchoftheirtwofigures。Duringtheirsittings，he
engagedtheminconversation，andkindleduptheirfaceswith
characteristictraits，which，thoughcontinuallyvarying，itwashis
purposetocombineandfix。Atlengthheannouncedthatattheir
nextvisitboththeportraitswouldbereadyfordelivery。
“Ifmypencilwillbutbetruetomyconception，inthefewlast
toucheswhichImeditate。”observedhe，“thesetwopictureswillbemy
verybestperformances。Seldom，indeed，hasanartistsuchsubjects。”
Whilespeaking，hestillbenthispenetrativeeyeuponthem，nor
withdrewittilltheyhadreachedthebottomofthestairs。
Nothing，inthewholecircleofhumanvanities，takesstrongerhold
oftheimaginationthanthisaffairofhavingaportraitpainted。
Yetwhyshoulditbeso？Thelooking-glass，thepolishedglobesofthe
andirons，themirror-likewater，andallotherreflectingsurfaces，
continuallypresentuswithportraits，orratherghosts，ofourselves，
whichweglanceat，andstraightwayforgetthem。Butweforgetthem
onlybecausetheyvanish。Itistheideaofduration-ofearthly
immortality-thatgivessuchamysteriousinteresttoourown
portraits。WalterandElinorwerenotinsensibletothisfeeling，
andhastenedtothepainter’sroom，punctuallyattheappointed
hour，tomeetthosepicturedshapeswhichweretobetheir
representativeswithposterity。Thesunshineflashedaftertheminto
theapartment，butleftitsomewhatgloomyastheyclosedthedoor。
Theireyeswereimmediatelyattractedtotheirportraits，which
restedagainstthefarthestwalloftheroom。Atthefirstglance，
throughthedimlightandthedistance，seeingthemselvesinprecisely
theirnaturalattitudes，andwithalltheairthattheyrecognized
sowell，theyutteredasimultaneousexclamationofdelight。
“Therewestand。”criedWalter，enthusiastically，“fixedin
sunshineforever！Nodarkpassionscangatheronourfaces！”
“No。”saidElinor，morecalmly；“nodrearychangecansaddenus。”
Thiswassaidwhiletheywereapproaching，andhadyetgained
onlyanimperfectviewofthepictures。Thepainter，aftersaluting
them，busiedhimselfatatableincompletingacrayonsketch，leaving
hisvisitorstoformtheirownjudgmentastohisperfectedlabors。At
intervals，hesentaglancefrombeneathhisdeepeyebrows，watching
theircountenancesinprofile，withhispencilsuspendedoverthe
sketch。Theyhadnowstoodsomemoments，eachinfrontofthe
other’spicture，contemplatingitwithentrancedattention，but
withoututteringaword。Atlength，Waltersteppedforward-thenback-
viewingElinor’sportraitinvariouslights，andfinallyspoke。
“Istherenotachange？”saidhe，inadoubtfulandmeditative
tone。“Yes；theperceptionofitgrowsmorevividthelongerIlook。
ItiscertainlythesamepicturethatIsawyesterday；thedress-
thefeatures-allarethesame；andyetsomethingisaltered。”
“Isthenthepicturelesslikethanitwasyesterday？”inquiredthe
painter，nowdrawingnear，withirrepressibleinterest。